Funk, jazz, electronica, reggae, and rock are just a few of the genres that SmoothOp dips their pen into. Their live shows are a giant work of improvisation; setlists are occasionally written, but seldom followed. The crowd's participation is what's most important to the band, and they will continuously transform their music to whatever pleases on a given night.

SmoothOp was formed in 2007 by UNCW students Tom Shaw (guitar), Chris Mitchell (bass), and Keelan McCoy (drums). It all began when Tom moved in with Chris and Keelan, and the guys came to a realization: one of them plays drums, one of them plays bass, and one of them plays guitar. Needless to say, it wasn't long before they were annoying their other roommates with poorly-rehearsed cover songs and late-night jam sessions.

Soon thereafter, the other roommates moved out, and house parties at the SmoothOp house became a weekly occurrence - until the police kindly told them that it would be in their best interest to refrain from throwing any more house parties. So there were no more house parties.

Although SmoothOp was formed as a trio, they have made many great friends and joined forces with some incredible musicians over the years. Tyler Simmons and Justin Heter of Sci Fi are known to join the stage on a regular basis, and appearances by Mike Myers of Addictive Nature have become a regular occurrence as well. Because of the adaptability of playing as a three-piece combined with the flexibility of their music, the group welcomes guest musicians to join them.